Abstract: A brake assembly permits axial rotation of a shaft in a first direction and retarding axial rotation of the shaft in an opposite, reverse direction. The brake assembly includes a rotary member for mounting to and rotation with the shaft; a fluid actuated brake mechanism for retarding the rotation of the rotary member and consequently the shaft upon pressure build up in the brake mechanism; a bi-direction pump for conveying fluid from a reservoir, the pump being driven by rotation of the shaft; and a control manifold for directing circulating the fluid from the pump through the brake mechanism and back to the reservoir without pressure build up, the circulation of the fluid preventing the accumulation of gas in the brake mechanism, when the shaft turns in the first direction and or directing fluid to the brake mechanism for activating the brake mechanism by fluid pressure build up to retard rotation of the shaft when the shaft turns in the reverse direction.

Abstract: A relatively simple hydraulically operated disc brake mechanism for drive systems which store torsion by reason of being under torque is disclosed. Certain drive systems such as the drive strings for deep well submersible pumps store considerable torsion due to torque and elasticity. Such torsion must be controllably released if drive power is interrupted. The disc brake mechanism includes a housing that defines a reservoir for lubricating oil for the bearings of a shaft that drives a bi-directional hydraulic pump. When the shaft turns in an operating direction, the pump conveys the lubricating oil in a closed circuit by way of a control manifold through the brake mechanism and back to the reservoir, without activating the brake mechanism. This flushes the complete lubricating oil circuit including the control manifold and the brake mechanism to prevent accumulation of gas pockets therein at locations of little or no fluid flow.

Abstract: Apparatus and process for marking a surface with a highly visible and substantive mark comprising mixing a dry granular, free-flowing superabsorbent polymer powder with liquid, preferably water, and dye to form a semi-solid gel and depositing the gel onto the surface to be marked. The marking apparatus comprises a chamber for mixing the gel and a ram used to eject the gel from the chamber without excess mechanical agitation and without causing significant breakdown of the gel. The dye makes the gel very visible, the bulk of the gel makes it more easily visible, the nature of the gel makes it temporary; easily dispersed with time, sunlight or water.

Abstract: A multisensor vehicle-mounted mine detector having one or more sensors leading the vehicle for detecting objects in the ground while moving. A navigational system tracks the coordinates of the detected objects, performs data fusion, declares whether the object is a target worthy of interest and if so, stops the vehicle with a trailing thermal neutron activator sensor (TNA) over the coordinates of the object and interrogating the object with slow neutrons to confirm whether it contains sufficient nitrogen to indeed be a mine. The TNA confirmation is kept brief due to the use of a strong source coupled with means for analysing the resultant pulses and rejecting piled-up pulses. The difference between an integration of the entire pulse and a portion of the pulse is compared against a predetermined difference for a normal pulse wherein variations therebetween are indicative of a piled-up pulse which is then rejected.